Former Champions Nigeria and South Africa Crash Out of WAFCON 2026
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Morocco Favourites As Super Falcons and Banyana Exit WAFCON
The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations continued to deliver huge surprises this past weekend, with the champions of the last two editions, Nigeria and South Africa, suffering elimination in the quarter-finals of the continental competition.
On Saturday, Banyana Banyana found themselves a goal down in the first half against Morocco after Sakina Ouzraoui opened the scoring in the 31st minute. Hanane Ait El Haj then extended the Atlas Lionesses' lead just after the break from the penalty spot.
Desiree Ellis’ side cut the deficit in half through Thembi Kgatlana in the 67th minute and were the more attacking side during the closing stages of the clash in Rabat, but they were unable to find a leveller with the tournament hosts progressing to the semis for a third time in succession.
Nigeria denied record-extending 11th WAFCON title by Cameroon!
Twenty-four hours later, we witnessed the biggest shock of the tournament to date, as Myriam Nyadjou netted for Cameroon inside the opening 20 minutes of their match against Nigeria, before the Indomitable Lionesses produced a defensive masterclass to hold on to their slender advantage.
With the four semi-finalists earning direct qualification to the World Cup, the Super Falcons will now have to take the longer Playoff route reserved for the quarter-final losers, where two teams will have another chance to secure their spot in the global tournament.
WAFCON 2026: Semi-Finals and Inter-Confederation Playoffs Confirmed
Runners-up and now favourites according to the best online betting sites, Morocco, will take on Cameroon in the first semi-final of Wafcon 2026, while Algeria will lock horns with Malawi. Both games will be played on Wednesday, August 12, in Rabat.
Meanwhile, the Inter-Confederation Playoffs will be staged the following day in Casablanca, with Ivory Coast facing Ghana in the opening fixture before a blockbuster between South Africa and Nigeria at the Moulay Rachid Stadium at 19:00 (GMT).
